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Palm Springs city officials held a community forum this week and addressed changes to the city’s cannabis ordinance. Mayor Pro Tem Geoff Kors and Councilman J.R. Roberts announced the intended changes and spoke in front of close to 100 people at the community forum. Residents of Palm Springs were able to share any concerns, not specifically limited to cannabis, at the community forum held at the Palm Springs Convention Center. Politicians and many city department heads were in attendance at the community forum to address updates in policy and for residents to speak to.

A main change announced to the cannabis ordinance for the city is to help residents with cannabis-related odors. Palm Springs employed a consultant who will work with cannabis businesses to establish cannabis odor control plans. The new ordinance will impose a hefty deterrent to the tune of a $10,000 fine and a risk of permit loss.

J.R. Roberts, city councilman for Palm Springs, stated: “Our number one focus is odor and we’ve found that there’s a lot more we can do now than we could do in the past.”

It is estimated by Mayor Pro Tem Kors that the new draft of the ordinance will be completed within September and presented to the community for feedback. After the community has the opportunity to review the changes to the ordinance, it will move onto the full council.

A member of the cannabis community, specifically the Coachella Valley Cannabis Alliance Network (CVCAN), spoke at the community forum and addressed the cannabis ordinance changes.

Jocelyn Kane, former Legislative Director and current Vice President of CVCAN, stated: “The industry is listening and they do not what to upset residents. They do not want to violate the law.”

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Risk of Prosecution for Marijuana-Related Companies. If you are considering investing in a company that is connected to the marijuana industry, be aware that marijuana-related companies may be at risk of federal, and perhaps state, criminal prosecution. The Department of Treasury recently issued guidance noting: “[T]he Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) makes it illegal under federal law to manufacture, distribute, or dispense marijuana. Many states impose and enforce similar prohibitions. Notwithstanding the federal ban, as of the date of this guidance, 20 states and the District of Columbia have legalized certain marijuana-related activity.”